Even rock stars sometimes find themselves waiting for the phone to ring. “He never calls,” groused guitarist Jeff Beck about his erstwhile band mate Rod Stewart in a backstage interview.

It’s the 45th anniversary of “Truth,” the debut album by the Jeff Beck Group, which featured Stewart on vocals (and Ronnie Wood on bass). That would seem as good a reason as any for a reunion between the guitarist and singer, two godfathers of British blues rock. But Beck speculates that soccer (among other distractions) keep Stewart from focusing on a new joint project: “Get rid of them and we’ll have an album.”

The outlook seemed more promising four years ago after a concert by Beck in Los Angeles, where Stewart joined him on stage to sing the Impressions’ “People Get Ready,” which the two men cut as a single back in the 1980s. But any future duets hinge on finding some fresh material they can both agree on. “I’m the one doing all the looking,” Beck said, suggesting Stewart put in some research time on Spotify.

Through a representative, Stewart’s management declined to comment.

Beck is finishing up a concert tour with Brian Wilson, while Stewart is currently on tour in support of his latest album, “Time.”